Maintaining heart health can reduce the likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke by minimizing the risk of heart disease. To guide you in the right direction, doctors typically highlight specific risk factors. Almost universally, healthcare professionals affiliated with the Preventive Cardiovascular Program at Penn advise individuals at risk of heart attack and stroke to take the following actions: opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
Adopting a diet that promotes heart health.
Ensuring your heart stays healthy involves a crucial aspect—maintaining a balanced diet. The ideal dietary approach varies based on your specific treatment objectives, but there are specific foods that can contribute to reducing the risk of heart disease. Whether your goal is weight loss, lowering cholesterol or triglycerides, managing blood pressure, or enhancing blood sugar levels, collaborating with a registered dietitian is beneficial. At the Preventive Cardiovascular Program, our patients benefit from nutritional counseling provided by a seasoned dietitian.
Sustain a healthy weight.
Excess weight or obesity can lead to the onset of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), consequently elevating the risk of heart disease. The specialists at Penn Medicine are equipped to assist you in shedding weight and subsequently sustaining weight loss, employing a blend of dietary measures and regular exercise.
Regular Exercise.
Engaging in regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight, decrease blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels, making it a crucial component in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Consult with your healthcare team to develop an exercise plan tailored to your specific needs and preferences.
Quit smoking.
Smoking reduces oxygen supply to the heart, raises blood pressure and heart rate, and promotes blood clotting, all contributing to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Penn Medicine offers a comprehensive Stop Smoking program as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to quit smoking and maintain a smoke-free lifestyle.
For those with a family history of heart disease or increased risk factors, adopting these healthy lifestyle modifications plays a vital role in preventing heart attacks and strokes. Recognizing the challenges of making such changes, it is important to seek the necessary support to facilitate success.
